Civil Rights

A few months back, the FBI announced that violent crime increased at its highest rate in 15 years. There were 17,000 homicides in the United States in 2005, a jump of nearly 5%.

So what is Congressional leadership's response to this national crisis? To defy common sense and make it even easier for criminals to buy guns.

Just this week, the House passed legislation to protect corrupt gun dealers. This legislation, HR 5092, ties the hands of the ATF in its dealings with the 1% of gun dealers responsible for the guns used in nearly 60% of crimes. We should be giving the ATF the tools to crack down on corrupt and negligent gun dealers, but this legislation makes it harder to revoke their licenses. The bill relaxes recordkeeping requirements by no longer requiring dealers to properly maintain records.

Even if the ATF is able to revoke a corrupt gun dealer's license, this bill gives the dealer 60 days to sell off his remaining inventory. This defies all common sense. It's like revoking the license of a tavern that repeatedly serves under-aged drinkers, but allowing it to stay open until all its liquor is sold. Read more...

After nearly three years of working to ensure that the rights of Florida voters are protected, I have taken my fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Last week, I filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that Florida is currently not in compliance with the Bush v. Gore standard and the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Currently, 52 counties in Florida use optical scan machines that allow for a manual recount, while the other 15 counties use touch-screen voting machines that have a paperless system, which cannot be manually recounted in the event of a close election.

In June, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed my federal lawsuit citing that there can be different voting systems within a state and the ability for some voters to have a manual recount while others do not does not unduly burden the voter.  However, prior to my federal appeals dismissal in April, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Steward v. Blackwell that due to differentiating voting systems throughout the state of Ohio, counties cannot ensure that all ballots will be counted, not allowing for equal protection for all voters.  In the opinion, 6th Circuit Judge Boyce F. Martin stated, "we easily conclude that the right to have one's vote counted on equal terms is part of the right to vote." Since differing opinions have been issued within the Federal Circuit Courts, I believe my elections lawsuit merits a review by the Supreme Court.

It is inexcusable that since the 2000 election, the voting rights of all Floridians have been ignored.  The unfortunate fact is that there is widespread disregard for voter rights in Florida and around the country and a disturbing failure by some elected officials to fully ensure the validity of their state's electoral process. Despite growing public concern and
mounting evidence calling into question electronic voting machines, it is clear that Governor Bush and Secretary of State Cobb stand firm that the current system does not need to be fixed. Even Maryland's Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich has questioned the accuracy of touch-screen voting machines and has called for a paper-trail, citing a lack of confidence in the current system.

It is my sincere hope that the Supreme Court will expeditiously hear my case and ultimately deliver an opinion that safeguards our nation's democratic process and ensures fair and accurate elections.

The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act includes new provisions to further strengthen congressional authority and oversight, and provide clear rules for electronic surveillance if the President notifies the Congress that he has reason to believe that an attack is imminent that would result in death or serious injury or substantial economic damage. The rules will include time limits, written notification, full justification, and clear identification of the groups and their affiliates believed to be about to launch an attack.

We listen to our enemies. Our intelligence community must be able to gather information to protect us, and react rapidly to threats. At the same time, we must ensure that the liberties of Americans are protected. We can do both.

We should not allow another Congress to conclude without ensuring that our troops and their families are protected from profiteers.  Currently, the exploitation of our troops' names and images is allowed in commercial endeavors.  For this reason, I introduced H.R. 5755, the Soldiers Targeted by Offensive Profiteering (STOP) Act, which will require that our troops or the families of our fallen soldiers give written permission for any commercial use of their name or image in connection with their military service.

The STOP Act directs the Secretary of Defense to prohibit the unauthorized use of a soldier's name and image in commercial activities, and gives the Attorney General the authority to seek an injunction for violations.  H.R. 5755 has 94 cosponsors in the House - 50 Democrats and 44 Republicans - and has gained wide support from the veteran and military communities, including endorsements from the American Legion and the Military Officers Association of America.

The STOP Act isn't about supporting the war or opposing it.  It's about respecting the rights of our men and women in uniform.  Our soldiers serve, and some give their lives, to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.  At the core of those freedoms is freedom of speech guaranteed in the First Amendment.  I would not dream of going against everything these men and women are bravely fighting for by trampling on that right.  The bill specifically targets commercial speech.  It would only apply to people selling merchandise containing the names or images of our soldiers.

This bill isn't about financial restitution or even putting more people in prison.  It's about getting these vendors to respect the privacy of our soldiers and their families.  Nobody has the right to put the name or image of another private individual on a T-shirt or bumper sticker and sell it for a profit.

Our elections are too important to allow the possibility of fraudulent and illegal voting practices and that is why I supported H.R. 4844, the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006.  This bill would ensure that state and local governments have effective means to prevent non-citizen immigrants from illegally registering and voting in federal elections.

The Federal Election Integrity Act would require voters in federal elections to provide a photo ID by 2008.  By 2010, voters would be required to provide a photo ID that can only be obtained with proof of citizenship.  Federal law already makes it a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections and this bill would give state and local governments the tools they need to enforce the law.  H.R. 4844 is important legislation and will preserve the democratic integrity of our electoral process.

The ability of news reporters to assure confidentiality to sources is fundamental to their ability to deliver news on highly contentious matters of broad public interest. Without the promise of confidentiality, many sources would be reluctant to provide important facts to reporters, and the public would suffer from the resulting lack of information.

Congressman Pence and I have introduced the Free Flow of Information Act because the public's right to know should be paramount in a particular federal case. In many instances, the critical information which alerts federal prosecutors to initiate a criminal investigation or provides civil litigants with facts giving rise to a private cause of action is contained in a news story which could only have been reported upon assurance of anonymity to the news source.

The law and policy of the United States with regard to Cuba make clear that there will be no normalization of relations, or weakening of any sanctions on the Cuban regime, until all political prisoners are liberated, all political parties are legalized, and a democratic transition leading to free and fair elections is clearly underway in Cuba.

President Bush has reiterated our policy. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon recently restated our policy, as has Secretary Gutierrez in the past. The inclusion of a new suggestion such as the one for a "referendum" associated with the Organization of American States (OAS) made Friday by Secretary Gutierrez, was unfortunate and inappropriate. While we all celebrate the referendum that took place in Chile in 1988, it is well known, for example, that Hugo Chavez, who has embarked upon on a campaign to destroy all democratic institutions in Venezuela, carried out a fraudulent referendum in August 2004 that was "validated" by the OAS. The statement by Secretary Gutierrez last week served to diminish the necessary clarity with which U.S. policy toward Cuba needs to be conveyed.

Despite a recent ruling by a federal court that the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program was both unconstitutional and illegal, on Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed two bills that would approve the program and condone the president’s disregard for the rule of law.

On a party-line vote of 10 to 8, the committee approved S.2453, the “National Security Surveillance Act, Read more...

In my 31 years of military service, I was charged not only with defending this country but also its freedoms. If my time in the Navy taught me anything, it was that we serve in this all-volunteer military to defend Americans' freedom to think as they please, and to say what they think, even if they disagree with their leaders. A democracy is based on freedom of expression, and those who join the military do so to fight, if necessary, the wars which defend that freedom-hoping that our use will be to a wise end.

Whether President Bush or Secretary Rumsfeld likes it or not, these freedoms include the right of Americans to dissent with its government and to demand change. The military serves our country; those ultimately responsible for our military, our citizens, not only have the right-they have the duty-to speak up about what is occurring in Iraq and its impact upon America's security. That is what being a citizen in a democracy is all about.

This is particularly true when our citizens see so many failures in how this Administration has conducted the war. For someone like Secretary Rumsfeld to compare critics of the Bush Administration's Iraq policy to those appeasing Nazis before WWII is reprehensible. That is why I am running on a belief formed from 31 years in the service of our country: That whenever America has looked itself in the national mirror at a time of great challenge, it has said 'we are better than this,' and we have acted in the best interests of our citizens. I call on Curt Weldon to join me in challenging those who insult our values in this manner.

The United States Senate and the House of Representatives have passed two very different plans to address illegal immigration.  Congress has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to find common ground that could result in a compromise bill supported by both the House and Senate.  Such a resolution is becoming more and more unlikely as the Senate continues to advocate for their “guest-worker Read more...